Once Upon A Dream
by TwilightCakes
Summary: A retelling of the famous tale 'Sleeping Beauty'- Twilight style. AH/AU
1. Prologue: The Blessing

**Prologue: Blessing**

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Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a happy kingdom named Forks. In that kingdom, lived a royal couple who were very much in love. They had all the good fortune a king and queen could ever want, and the people of Forks loved them dearly. As the years passed by, the royal couple felt lonely; they yearned for the only thing missing from their lives. Their tender loving hearts wanted nothing more than a child of their own. After many years of waiting and hoping, it was with great pride that King Carlisle and Queen Esme announced the birth of their very first daughter.

They named her Princess Renesmee.

The entire kingdom rejoiced, for they knew how happy their King and Queen were to receive this lovely blessing into their lives. People came from far and wide to welcome the new baby princess into their kingdom. They came bearing gifts of all kinds for the new baby to wish her a good and happy life. Line after line of loyal townspeople paraded past her cradle, each admiring the little beauty who was now the queen's pride and the apple of the king's eye. Princess Renesmee had a mop of beautiful bronze curls, lovely chocolate brown eyes, and fair, rosy cheeks. All who looked upon her, felt their heart grow warm as the little princess smiled up at them.

She was impossible not to love.

The proud new parents marveled at how their beautiful new daughter had won everyone over at just a few days old. All was happy and the kingdom rejoiced in the palace's great hall.

Suddenly, a dark cloud that had been looming in the east began to roll over the happy kingdom. It would seem that not everyone was excited about the arrival of the new princess.

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Many thanks to my beta** NinkyBaby** for doing this fic for me!

This is my summer project (as Witness was last year) and I'm sooo excited about it. Head over to my blog to see the lovely banner!


	2. Chapter 1: The Princess

**Chapter 1: The Princess**

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_Today is a happy day_, she thought.

Queen Esme stared out over the balcony of the white palace, smiling down at the cheering crowd. The city of Forks was rejoicing that day, for God had finally bestowed on her the most precious gift anyone could ask for: a daughter.

And there was even more good news. The king of their neighboring country, Quileute, wanted to have their children marry when they were of age. This would unite their kingdoms together as one and ensure peace and prosperity for all of their subjects.

Yes, it was indeed a happy day.

"Come wife, let us retire to the Great Hall. I expect King William will be arriving soon."

"Did you hear that, Renesmee? Someone very important is coming to visit you!" Queen Esme whispered to the bundle in her arms. With one final wave to the crowd below, they happily retreated back into the Great Hall. Another crowd had gathered inside. The nobles of Forks were all present, each one bringing good tidings and gifts for the new little princess.

"Such a turnout! Everyone is so eager to meet their new princess!" King Carlisle chuckled, taking his seat on his throne. Queen Esme carefully laid her new baby in her cradle, smiling up at the king's knights. They had been appointed to guard her daughter – not just today, but from every day henceforth.

"Do I even have to ask you three to watch over her?" she asked with a grin.

"Never, your majesty. Any three of us would die before letting Princess Renesmee see any harm," Sir Jasper said politely.

Sir Emmett stepped forward, his large frame demanding attention as he boomed, "I'd like to see someone get past me!"

Sir Edward chuckled, nodding. "Yes, your majesty, we will do anything asked for our new princess. Rest assured that we will go to any length to protect her. We will even lay our lives down for her.

Esme beamed, touching them each on the cheek. "I know you will. You have served us well since you were boys. Bless you all," she replied softly, giving the three knights a sweet smile. The Queen knew she could trust that all three of the king's guard would protect her new little bundle of joy. They were the finest knights in all the land; Carlisle had chosen them for their loyalty, their skill, and their valor. They were responsible for leading and training the rest of the knights as well as the royal guard. She had long looked upon them as foster sons, and she trusted all of them with her life.

One by one, the happy subjects and nobles were ushered past, each one leaving something for the new princess. Her parents smiled lovingly at her golden cradle, satisfied that everyone was completely charmed by their tiny daughter already. With each little coo and laugh from the girl, every person seemed to walk away with a bright, hopeful smile. It seemed that the princess had captivated everyone who had come to pay homage to her.

Trumpets soon sounded in the entry of the Great Hall, and everyone respectfully stood and bowed as King William of Quileute marched jovially in. His dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, his chest bore the bright colors of his kingdom, and his step had an extra bit of pep in it as he made his way down the long isle. His tan cheeks were glowing with happiness as he beamed at his lifelong friend and ally, King Carlisle. Behind him marched his stern looking son, who was only six years old. William had tried explaining to his young heir that day, that today was a very important day, but most of that was lost on the young boy. He was still too young to understand what the new princess will come to mean for him. But no matter; today was a day for kings to rejoice!

"Ah Carlisle! How long have we awaited this day!" he called out happily.

King Carlisle stood with his wife, the three of them bowing politely to each other. William hesitated a moment before giving his good friend a tight hug out of sheer happiness.

"Our countries have waited this day…and now it has finally come! Tell me good man, how is the little one?" King William asked with gusto, giving the other king a clap on his back.

Carlisle grinned, returning William's embrace. "Quite well. She has the entire kingdom enchanted so far. But…" he trailed off, leaning over to look at Billy's young son, "we shall see if she can impress the most important person, yet."

William slapped the fellow king gleefully on the shoulder, giving the queen a wink. "Of course she will! With a mother that lovely, she shall surely have all of us at her beck and call!"

All the royals laughed together for a moment as William's young son peeked out from behind him. The small boy was confused as to why he was at the palace of their ally that day.

"You remember Ephraim Black? Errr, he goes by Jacob," he explained after a poke from his son.

"Yes?"

"Dad, what have we come to see?" he asked. "Is it something good?"

"Good? It's more than good, it's fantastic, my boy! Come, let us rest our eyes upon the new princess!"

The four of them walked over to the golden cradle, the knights backing away to give them room. All three adults were a chorus of 'awwws' while little Jacob wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"But Father...this is...this is just a baby! A baby _girl!"_

All three of them burst into laughter as Jacob laid eyes on his betrothed for the first time. That was certainly not the reaction they had planned.

"We shall omit this part of the story when she is older," Carlisle laughed, hugging his wife to his side. She smiled warmly at the little boy, her heart going out to him. He was too young to understand what their betrothal meant. He only knew that he had traveled far to see a baby girl.

"Perhaps you will think differently of her in a few more years," she suggested to the boy, giving him a pat on the cheek. He nodded, his tan cheeks turning a deep shade of red as the lovely queen smiled at him.

"It will be love at first sight, your majesty, I assure you! Jacob here will marry Renesmee and all will be well for the rest of our days! You shall see!" William assured him. "Jacob, don't you have something nice to say to the parents of this darling girl?"

Jacob glanced down into the cradle again, trying not to scrunch up his nose. She was cute and all, but all she did was lie there! She couldn't run or play – he was betting she couldn't even shoot an arrow! What use was she to him? However, he knew his father wanted to make the king and queen happy, so he knew he would have to say something nice.

"She's very um...pink," he said finally, noting her rosy cheeks and matching pink blanket. The baby gurgled happily at him, giving him her best toothless grin. Jacob tried not to giggle at her, but she was so funny! Where were all her teeth?

"She's your future bride, boy!" William hissed, giving his son a nudge. Carlisle and Esme tried not to laugh as little Jacob winced.

Jacob sighed. "Will she ever learn to walk and talk and...and ride a horse?"

"Yes my son, she will. She will be quite lovely, I think it's safe to guess," Carlisle assured the young prince.

Jacob crossed his arms, looking up at his father. "Well, I suppose she'll be fine. As long as we never have to kiss or something. Yuck!"

All the adults within ear shot burst into laughter as Jacob took a final glance at his future bride. The kings exchanged bright smiles as they knew that Jacob would someday be singing a different tune, so to speak. They were sure of it. Fondly, they dreamed that one day their kingdoms would unite through their children.

They were distracted as the royal trumpets began to sound. A bright light shone from above as the crowd below parted, a hush silence falling over them.

"Darling," Esme said excitedly to her husband. "It's what we've been waiting for!

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**Hope you enjoy this little fairytale! Thank you to NinkyBaby for all of her hard work on this! **

**Up next, the arrival of the three good fairies. Any guesses who they are? ; ) **

**Be sure to check out my blog to see the beautiful banner for this fic!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Fairies

Chapter 2: The Fairies

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The entire room began to titter with excitement as the great white light came streaming through the windows. It sparkled and danced unlike anything they had seen before. It could only mean one thing.

"Come Jacob, we await the arrival of the three good fairies!" Esme said excitedly, putting her hands on his shoulders. He nodded, joining the rest of the crowd as they watched the bright beam of sunlight flood the Great Hall.

From within the sparkling light, the form of three ethereal beings appeared suddenly as the bright sunlight began to wane. Three beautiful fairies adorned in fine clothes and endowed with pretty, shiny wings walked down the aisle toward the cradle. Never before had the people in the hall seen such a sight! The people began to applaud the three good fairies as they made their way to the king and queen. They were all stunningly beautiful with features so perfect, it made them look unearthly.

The three fairies that appeared were sisters that descended from a long line of magical, half-elf beings. Long had they guarded the palace from any evil that dare approach. They had come that day to wish the princess well and to bestow her with their own special gifts, for they saw the goodness in the king and queen's heart and wished to reward them.

The fairy that led them was tall and graceful, with hair the color of spun gold and a gown of scarlet red. Her eyes were a deep violet blue, framed by the longest black lashes and accented with red lips.

The second fairy was small in stature, but just as elegant as the first in her royal blue gown. Her long, flowing dark hair floated out behind her as she followed the first with a soft smile and excited brown eyes.

The final fairy was the shortest, and she seemed to dance as she nimbly walked behind the other two. Her eyes were a brilliant green that matched her dress. Her lips were pink and smiling as she followed her sisters before her.

Together, they were unlike anything one had ever seen. They seemed to float up the aisle, smiling joyfully as they were announced, captivating courtiers and townsfolk alike.

"Their most honored and exulted Excellency, the three good fairies! Mistress Rosalie, Mistress Bella, and Mistress Alice!"

The three of them bowed politely in front of the king and queen before rushing to the side of the cradle. They all cooed together at once, their eyes wide as they looked into the cradle at Princess Renesmee.

"Oh, what a beauty!"

"Such grace!"

"The little _darling!"_

They all took turns fawning over the new princess before turning back to her parents.

"Your majesties," they chorused, giving a deep bow. The two kings and queen smiled at them warmly in acknowledgement. All three knights that surrounded the top of the cradle exchanged excited glances as the three good fairies began to speak.

"With your permission, each of us shall grant the child one special gift," Mistress Rosalie spoke.

"No more, no less," Mistress Bella added.

"These gifts will both aide her and protect her in her new life of righteousness," Mistress Alice chimed in happily.

"Of course," Queen Esme beamed, clasping her hands together excitedly. The three good fairies bounced excitedly in front of her before following the queen to the cradle. Renesmee squealed happily as they bend over the side to smile down at her. Another excited hush fell over the room as wands suddenly appeared in the hands of the three. Everyone was anticipating what gifts such magical beings would bestow upon the new child.

Mistress Rosalie was the first to speak.

"Little princess, my gift shall be the gift of beauty. Hair of shining bronze, eyes of the sunset, and lips as pink as the rose. May you always appreciate it and remember that true beauty lies within," she said softly, waving her wand. A red burst of sparkles fell from the tip of her wand and onto the smiling baby below.

Mistress Bella stepped forward next, smiling shyly. "Tiny princess, my gift shall be the gift of kindness. May all who meet you see this trait in your actions and kindly give it back to you," she said, waving her wand. Another burst, this time blue, rained down on the tiny princess, making her giggle.

Mistress Alice was last. "Darling Renesmee, my gift shall be—"

She was cut off by a loud clap of thunder as it rang out in the Great Hall, a horrible gust of wind began to blow, extinguishing all the flames from the lit candles. The people cried out in shock at the sudden impending dark storm. The colorful banners that hung from the celling blew and snapped in protest, the wind whipping them back and forth.

A hush silence overcame the Great Hall as everyone became dead quiet, not knowing what might happen next. Suddenly, a huge crack of lightning followed by a very loud boom of thunder shook the foundation of the large castle, and the people began to panic. Soon, the people became hysterical with fear; women and children began to cry.

King Carlisle ran to the cradle, hugging his wife close. The Knights all drew their swords, their bodies bent forward in a defensive position, eyes bright with the idea of defending their new princess.

"Father, what's happening?" Jacob yelled, tugging at his father's tunic.

"What dark magic appears?" William growled, pulling the boy close.

"I'm afraid, this doesn't look good, the dark sorcery reminds me of—can it be?" Alice muttered, looking fearfully at her sisters. Rosalie and Bella shook their heads as they joined Alice in holding up their wands, unsure of what would happen next. Their magic was used to do only good, however, they knew they could use it to defend themselves and innocent people if needed.

Another clap of thunder shook the building, and a bolt of lightning came streaking through one of the open windows. It lit a fire on the floor below, but this was no ordinary fire. The flames rose and grew, crackling with a bright green flame.

From the flames, emerged a figure that made everyone gasp with fear.

"Aro, the dark sorcerer," the King whispered to his wife. Esme looked up at him with fretful eyes as she clutched his side. Things had truly taken a turn for the worse.

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Thanks to NinkyBaby for beta-ing! : )

Hope you are enjoying this as much as I love writing it! Please review.


	4. Chapter 3: The Evil

Chapter 3: The Evil

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The dark sorcerer was scarcely seen or heard of, but there he was, encased in the evil flames. He strode proudly forward out of the flames, stopping after a few feet. With one crack of his staff on the floor, the green flames were instantly put out. Every word halted in the Great Hall as everyone waited to hear what he had to say. Demitri, his crow, soared through the window and landed on the tip of his staff to scowl at the court.

"Why, it's Aro!" Bella breathed, covering her mouth with a gasp.

"What does he want here?" Alice snapped, her hands on her tiny hips.

"Shhhh!" Rosalie quieted them. "We need to hear what he says!"

And she was right. Aro was not to be trifled with. He hadn't made an appearance in the kingdom of Forks for many years, and was usually the subject of gossipers and scary tales told late at night.

Aro had been a tortured conjuror of dark arts and terrible magic since before anyone could remember. Carlisle's grandfather had banished him from the land nearly two centuries ago. He was rarely seen or heard from, yet he still held a grudge against the kingdom with every fiber of his being. Silence fell over the Great Hall as they waited for the evil sorcerer to speak. He stepped forward, his greenish skin a bleak contrast with his drab, black cloak as it dragged heavily across the polished floor.

"King Carlisle, what a glittering assembly!" he suddenly cried out, a phony smile decorating his features. Everyone in the room jumped in shock. Aro leered menacingly at the cradle, his eyes falling on the baby inside. "Nobility...royalty...and..." he turned to the three fairies, his lip turning up slightly, "and how quaint. Even the riff-raff."

"Oh! I oughta..." Alice growled, lunging forward. Rosalie and Bella gasped, their hands darting out to grab their sister.

Aro ignored her.

"I really felt quite distressed about not receiving my invitation," he replied smoothly.

"You weren't invited or welcome!" Alice chimed again in her dainty voice.

Aro feigned surprise. "Not...not wanted? Oh...well well well...what an awkward situation I'm in. You see, I had hoped that my invitation had been merely overlooked, but now...now I shall take my leave since I'm not wanted here..." he trailed off, turning to leave.

Esme felt her stomach lurch. There was no way Aro would make an appearance such as this and leave without something else. He had been a fixture of her worst nightmares since she was a small girl, and he wasn't known for leaving anywhere peacefully.

"You're not offended?" she heard herself ask. Carlisle clutched her arm, glancing down at his wife in shock.

"Why no, Your Majesty! And to show I bear no ill will, I too shall bestow a gift upon the child."

All three fairies and all three knights crowded closer around the cradle with the baby princess, their eyes wide and fearful, yet ready to protect.

"Listen well, all of you!" Aro suddenly cried out, stabbing the stone floor with his staff. The resounding crack made everyone in attendance jump. "The Princess shall grow lovely indeed. Beloved by all who know her. But," he growled, raising his staff, "before the sun sets on her seventeenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and DIE!"

The room was shrouded in gasps as Aro raised his staff high in the air, the whites of his evil eyes showing. The fairies quivered in front of the cradle, trying to muster the courage to step in. However, the power of Aro was known throughout the land and no one dared defy him.

"Seize that evil creature!" Carlisle bellowed suddenly, his anger getting the best of him. Despite his fear, he stood tall. He knew that Aro might strike him dead where he stood with a flick of his wrist, but no being should speak ill of his newborn daughter, least of all an evil sorcerer.

The guards trembled for a split second before leaping to action, ready to protect their new princess. Aro lifted his arms, his black cloak nearly cocooning him as the green flames returned. Another loud clap of lightning sounded, shaking the room as the panicked guards rushed towards the evil sorcerer. The flames grew, making them shield their faces and eyes in fear. With an evil, menacing laugh, Aro and his accomplice, Demitri vanished.

Silence rang out through the Great Hall, everyone's faces ashen with shock. An evil sorcerer had just appeared and cursed the new princess! They were all aghast as all eyes turned to the king and queen. Esme whimpered, scooping her baby out of the cradle and holding her to her chest, tears falling down her face. Carlisle patted her shoulder, his other hand reaching out to touch his daughter's head.

"We'll get him!" Sir Emmett boomed. "We won't let him get away with that."

"No spinning wheel shall ever come near her, Your Highness," Sir Jasper assured the queen.

"We will die before any harm comes to her, Your Majesties," Sir Edward added solemnly. Esme wept into Renesmee's blanket as Carlisle gave them a stern nod.

"We will have council over this until we come to a conclusion. Tonight," he said firmly.

All three knights nodded as the fairies rushed to Esme's side. "Don't despair, Your Majesties," Rosalie spoke gently, "for Mistress Alice still has her gift to give."

Everyone in the room looked up with hopeful gazes towards Alice, who was standing beside the cradle, biting her lip nervously.

"So...Mistress Alice can undo this evil curse that Aro has placed upon our innocent child?"

Alice shifted on her feet. "Well...no, sire," she admitted woefully, clasping her hands behind her back.

"But she can certainly help," Mistress Bella pointed out, putting her hand on the Queen's shoulder. Esme looked up, her gaze desperate and full of despair.

"Aro's dark curse is far too powerful for me to undo, but...Bella is right. I can help soften it," she said quietly.

"Then, please proceed," the king begged, rushing to her side. He gently pushed the tiny baby towards the queen. Esme carefully placed little Renesmee back in her cradle so that Alice could do what she could.

Alice looked around the silent hall, still chewing her lip as she glanced over her shoulder. With a wave of her little golden wand, she took a deep breath, tiptoeing over the cradle. Sparks of emerald green began to fall from the tip as she spoke.

"Do your best," Rosalie whispered at her.

"I'll do my best," Alice whispered before turning to the princess.

"Sweet princess, if this evil spell comes true and all is lost, a ray of hope there still may be; the gift I give to thee. Not in death, but just in sleep, the faithful prophecy you shall keep. And from this slumber you shall wake, when true love's kiss touches thee, the spell shall break!" she exclaimed. Settling back down on flat feet, she whispered softly, "I give you the gift of true love."

The Great Hall remained silent as Alice backed away from the cradle, her jaw set in a determined fashion. One by one, the people left, hanging their heads in sadness. For no one had ever lived to tell the tale of Aro's malice. Once his mind was made up, he was certainly not known for going back on his promises.

The fate of the new little princess was sealed.

They knew that in seventeen years, she would undoubtedly be dead.

Little Jacob turned to his father with a stern look. "Father, I don't like girls, but I don't want that wicked warlock to get her either. Can we get him?"

William put his hand on the shoulder of the little boy, woefully nodding. "We will do our best to trick him into peril, dear boy. Let us make a promise to Renesmee's parents to do whatever we can to keep her safe, shall we?"

Jacob nodded firmly, his mind made up. Of course he didn't want to have to like this girl, however; he didn't want any harm to come to such a helpless little baby. Why, she couldn't even pick up a sword to fight that evil man off! She needed his help, he had decided.

"I promise to protect the princess," he said solemnly to the queen. Esme smiled through her tears, resting her hand on the little boy's cheek.

"Little Jacob, my love for you has blossomed more with each passing second. I take comfort in your words, my dear boy," she replied, sniffing back her sobs.

William patted his son on the shoulder as the king and queen were escorted from the room with their daughter. Yes, Princess Renesmee could certainly count on the people to do whatever they could to protect her.

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Thank you to NinkyBaby for Beta-ing! : )


	5. Chapter 4: The Plan

**Chapter 4: The Plan**

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"We must protect the Princess!" Edward fumed, slamming his fist onto the wooden table.

"I'd like to take a crack at that magic man without that staff. His head would surely roll," Emmett growled back, nodding at his friend.

"We need to be clever about this," Jasper added, walking up to them. They were in the King's secret council room only minutes later, planning different ways to protect the new princess. To threaten a deserving adult was one thing; however, to do so to a defenseless baby was quite another.

"He is right," Alice chimed, walking into the stone room with a 'poof' of green smoke. Her sisters followed, walking confidently into the room as if they had been there a hundred times. The three knights looked at each other, slightly flustered – this room was only known to a select few. Alice nodded at Jasper who suddenly seemed dumbstruck.

"We _do_need to be clever about this," Bella chorused, following her sister. "In order to protect the princess, we need to think in greater detail."

Edward sat up in a panic. "You have magical powers...and you swear they are only used for good?"

Rosalie took a seat at the large wooden table and rolled her eyes. "Of course they are. The three _good_fairies? Did you not hear our introduction?"

"He's just nervous. Any sort of 'magic' makes Sir Edward question things."

"I assure you, we can only do good. That is why our magic will not work against Aro – directly. We have to think of something trickier to go around him," Bella said.

Alice stepped forward, tucking her golden wand into her sleeve. "Our powers can only do things that will bring happiness."

"Well, why don't you use it to send that evil troll packing. Maybe help him right off a cliff. _That _would make me happy," Emmett added sourly.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way," Rosalie said sadly. "We've got to come up with another plan to keep her safe."

"The king has ordered every spinning wheel to be burned," Edward pointed out. Rosalie nodded, her gaze fretful.

"Yes, but this will do nothing. Aro is far too cunning to be subdued with something as simple as burning every spinning wheel in the land! Surely he had thought of that happening. This is dark magic at work," she reminded him.

Emmett turned to her. "What do you propose we do?" he asked, staring at the beautiful golden-haired fairy. She blushed, darting her violet eyes towards the table.

"Well...he is silly to burn them all, but if that will make the King feel better then... I'm not sure where to go from there, honestly."

The six of them thought in a perplexed silence for a moment before one of the king's messengers came in. Even with all their pledges of assistance, the king remained fearful. He had declared that every spinning wheel in the kingdom be burned that day.

And so it was done.

Alice sighed mournfully, leaning on the windowsill. The flames of the fire licked away at the monstrous pile of spinning wheels, rendering them to a fiery rubble in the main courtyard below. Rosalie frowned, drumming her nails on the round table where the three knights sat.

"Come," Bella urged them, "have some tea."

With a flick of her wrist, a pot of steaming tea appeared in the air. The three knights' eyes bulged as Alice woefully plucked the pot from the air. With another flick of Bella's wand, six cups and saucers appeared. The fairies took them from the air without a second thought, however, the knights were less accepting of them. Gradually, one by one, they took them. The six of them sipped their magically appearing tea for a few minutes, each mind deep in thought about how to deceive the evil Aro.

"It will take more than a bonfire to deter the likes of Aro," Alice grumbled, crossing her arms. Jasper inched closer to the plucky little fairy, impressed with her fearlessness.

"Do not despair my lady. We shall think of something. Surely he has some weaknesses?" he asked.

"It wouldn't seem so," she replied softly, her eyes flicking up to his. A slight blush appeared on his cheeks before Rosalie stepped in.

"There must be something we can do, now think!"

"Perhaps if we reason with him—" Bella started thoughtfully.

"—Reason? With Aro? Don't be silly, sister, that will never work."

"I'd like to turn him into a toad! He wouldn't be able to cast evil spells _then_!"

"That's not very nice, Alice," Bella softly chided her. "Besides, our magic doesn't work that way."

"You weren't just saying that then?" Edward asked her, lifting his head up from his hands.

She shook her head bashfully. "Er, no."

"I doubt we could compete with him anyhow. Aro has been practicing dark magic since...well...since anyone can remember!" Rosalie said. "Besides...sister is right. We cannot use our magic like that. It can only be used to bring joy and make people happy, and...fix things."

"Well, turning him into a toad would certainly make _me_happy," Alice sniffed.

"So...you're saying we have to use our minds?" Edward asked. Bella looked over at him, offering a timid smile.

"I daresay," she chuckled.

"Well," Rosalie continued, "There must be some way...oh!"

"What is it?" Emmett asked, his attention piqued. To say that this blonde haired siren of a fairy had caught his attention that day was an understatement.

"I'll..." she paused, her violet eyes wide as she looked around the room. "We mustn't be hasty. Even the walls seem to have ears at times!"

Bella and Alice nodded, and they quickly waved their wands at the walls of the room, cocooning them in a giant bubble. "Soundproof," Alice dutifully explained when the knights looked confused.

"What's your plan?" Emmett asked once secured.

Rosalie beamed proudly. "I'll turn the princess into a flower!" she laughed, plainly quite proud of herself. The three knights made a doubtful face.

"She'll be perfectly safe. What would Aro want with flowers?"

"Nothing, that's what's so perfect about it!" Bella added.

Alice huffed, shaking her tiny head. "That is until Aro sends a frost."

All six of them sighed in despair. "We need to do something he won't be expecting. He's far too cunning," Jasper finally said. He glanced at his fellow knights, all of them feeling similarly helpless. The six of them stayed deep in thought in the protection of their bubble, throwing out one idea after another. They would all contemplate ways that Aro would probably see through and have to grudgingly move onto the next idea. It was deep into the night when Rosalie finally jumped up with another bright smile.

"That's it! Of course...it's the only thing he won't expect!" she giggled gleefully.

"What sister? What is it?" Bella asked excitedly.

Rosalie ignored her and began to pace. "Now, we have to plan it carefully...let's see...the abandoned cottage...but the king and queen will object, but...it's the only way!"

"Plan what?" Alice demanded, her hands on her hips. Bella shrugged as Rosalie continued to plan and pace the floor with a cunning smile on her face.

"Explain how three peasant women raising an orphan child, deep in the forest, will go unnoticed!"

"Well...that's very kind of them indeed," Bella replied slowly, "but...who are they? And how do we know they can be trusted?"

"And how would they stay protected?" Emmett asked, following Rosalie as she paced. She whipped around, finding herself face to face with the burly, dark haired knight.

She blushed, giving him a flirtatious glance. "Well...they're us," she explained, sliding past him with a grin.

"Us?" Alice gasped. "But...we've never raised a _baby!"_

_"Ever!" _Bella added.

"But imagine it! It would be completely unexpected! Aro would never see it coming!"

"I agree," Edward said slowly, "but what of protection?"

"Protection from what? We will simply take the girl and disappear into the night. The cottage is so far into the woods that no one has thought of it in years!" Alice trilled.

"And raise the princess ourselves?" Bella asked gleefully. "Oh! We'll have to feed her and give her baths...and dress her in her little clothes..."

"And watch over her to make sure Aro is none the wiser to our little plan," Rosalie added.

"Surely you don't mean to go into the forest alone? Just the three of you?" Emmett asked suddenly, his blue eyes bright. He glanced at Rosalie hopefully, his hand on his sword.

"The three of us will do quite well," she said primly, touching her fingertip to the breastplate of his armor. "Worry not, Sir Emmett."

"Call me Emmett," he grinned. She beamed back at him, batting her long lashes over her violet eyes. Alice rolled her eyes, yanking on her sister's arm.

"Come, we must plan! It won't be bad at all, what with our magic—"

"—NO!" Bella screeched suddenly. "No magic! We mustn't give anyone a reason to suspect us. Using magic would be a clear giveaway.

"But," Rosalie stuttered, "no magic? How are we to do anything?"

"We'll manage," Bella insisted, "no magic. Now, I'll be taking those wands, sisters."

Alice gaped at her, grabbing Rosalie's hand. "Our...our _wands_?!" they stuttered in unison. They exchanged glances of sheer horror as Bella plucked their magical wands from their hands.

"You mean...you mean for us to live as mortals?"

"Why yes!"

"But...we've never done anything without the help of magic!" Rosalie huffed. "Who will wash? And cook? And clean?"

"Oh, we'll all pitch in!" Bella hummed. "Aro won't expect us to give up our magic and live as humans!"

"It is a very clever idea," Edward nodded. Rosalie glowered at him.

"Stay out of this," she growled.

"I just don't know," Alice muttered, hiding her wand behind her back. Bella reached for it again, this time grabbing it successfully.

"We're sensible girls," Bella reasoned. "And we mustn't overlook details you know. Magic might give us away, Alice."

The smallest fairy grumbled to herself, sharing a disgruntled look with her other sister. "Oh...I suppose you're right. I'd never forgive myself for magic if Aro be the wiser. Fine, no magic."

A look of concern suddenly crossed Jasper's face. "Will you be properly protected though?"

"We will be fine," Alice assured him. "The abandoned cottage is far in the woods."

"We shall be very content and safe," Bella added. She glanced at Edward, who nodded.

"Do you what you think is best. Can we aide you in any way?" he asked. Bella blushed as she shook her head.

"We must hide away until it is time. We'll take the baby and care for her until the times comes when she can be returned to her parents. Come sister, we must tell the king and queen what we've come up with!"

And so they did. The three good fairies and the three knights went to King Carlisle and Queen Esme to relay the details of their plan. As expected, they were horrified, but at the same time fearful for the safety of their daughter. It was with heavy hearts that they bade goodbye to their little girl.

"We shall be fine," Alice assured the King.

Together, the three of them bundled up the sleeping princess and snuck out of the palace. At the back gate, the three knights met them with much anxiousness.

"You will be all right?" Edward asked, glancing out into the darkness.

"We will be most happy in the cottage," Bella assured him.

"What if you need our help?"

Rosalie shook her head. "We won't be needing you for now, but...when the time does come for our return, be ready to stand guard."

"My lady, with all due respect," Jasper interjected, "we are nearing twenty now. In seventeen years, we will surely be retired knights! Do you not age yourselves?"

"No, we do not," Rosalie confirmed. "Well, not quickly, anyhow."

Alice and Bella glanced at Rosalie, all of them blushing. Rosalie opened a satchel on her wrist, producing three small vials. "We may have...thought of this. Take this serum upon our departure. It will keep you from aging until you receive the antidote. Upon our return, if you like, we shall give it to you," she explained, passing them out.

Alice cleared her throat, eyeing Jasper as he accepted the vial and downed it without pause. "It erm...might also keep you from perishing as well, should a horrible accident occur."

"Heaven forbid," Bella added.

The three young knights accepted the gifts, their eyes wide with the idea of possible immortality. Bidding them adieu, the three good fairies disappeared into the night with the tiny princess in tow. Deep into the forest they went, all saddened by what had transpired, yet hopeful for the future.

* * *

The wonderful NinkyBaby is my beta for this - I love her! Thanks for all of your hard work bb! : )

Enjoy!


	6. Chapter 5: The Dark City

**Chapter 5: The Dark City**

Many sad and lonely years passed in the once happy kingdom. But as the time for the princess' seventeenth birthday drew near, the entire kingdom began to rejoice. For everyone knew that as long as Aro's distant kingdom of Volturi thundered with his wrath and frustration, his evil prophecy had not yet been fulfilled.

* * *

Miles away, high up on a mountaintop, sat Volturi, or The Dark City. Many ages ago, great kings had lived in the sunny, majestic peak, once called Volterra, in the finest of luxury. The marketplace at the foot of Volterra had been famous for its fine goods, and the people there thrived. The white marble palace and surrounding mountain top city was the most beautiful thing anyone had seen. The shining beacon had been a symbol of hope and prosperity atop the great mountain for centuries. But long ago, before anyone could remember, another dark sorcerer had cast a spell on the mountain top city, jealous of the people who lived in such luxury. And so the once great city had fallen dark. The white marble replaced with jagged, cinder covered black ash. The very air to breathe was dangerous due to the black storm clouds that constantly lingered there, blowing up dirt and debris. The wild roses that had grown up the side of the castle were replaced with jagged brambles, and the surrounding brush was covered with many dark, evil creatures.

Naturally, this was not Aro's first choice for a home.

He had been banished to Volterra years before, and had used the time to grow nothing but bitter about his lot in life.

That day, Aro sat in his palace and sulked. It was the only thing he had been able to do for the last seventeen years. News that the little girl had vanished the night after his arrival in the palace travelled quickly. Everyone knew of the lonely king and queen who mourned for their daughter. His spies reported that she was nowhere to be found. No one even spoke of her. His plan to find and curse the Princess would only work if he could first find her. Every minion in his despicable guard had been sent out the day after to search for this missing girl, yet each time their hands returned empty.

He was running out of ideas.

She was gone...vanished into thin air.

"Impossible," he spat to himself. Babies did not simply evaporate.

_Unless..._ he thought, looking up, '_unless there was magic involved._He had taken note that those three miserable good fairies were laying low as well. He growled to himself as he paced the area in front of his stone seat. Things didn't just simply disappear without a trace. No, even less powerful magic than his own left traces. He would simply have to look further.

"Incredible! Seventeen years and not even a trace of her! If they do have her, they are cunning indeed," he fumed to himself. It was impossible. She just simply couldn't be gone.

His loyal servants cowered in the castle's dark hall, each of them fearing what the evil sorcerer would do next. He had rescued them all from the dungeons and from exile; his servants were the worst kind of people on purpose. Murderers, thieves, deviants...none of them thought twice about doing Aro's evil bidding. However, he was known for his wrath and causing great pain and suffering for anyone in his path who did not agree.

Darkness loomed before him as he stared into the eyes of his followers. None of them moved for fear he would strike.

"You've searched everywhere? The village, the forest, and the mountains?"

"Yes sire, we have left no stone unturned," replied Felix, the head of his huntsmen. He was a burly man, standing nearly seven feet tall and had more muscle mass than any other man ever seen. However, he was as dumb as he was huge.

"We've searched everywhere...no princess to be found!" he added again for good measure.

Aro sneered and cracked his staff on the stone floor. "Hopeless disgrace to the forces of evil!"

Silence rang out through the hall as his evil subjects cowered in fear. No one spoke or even moved for fear of Aro's wrath.

"My liege?"

Aro turned to the voice, his lip curling up slightly at the sight of his assistant, Demitri. The young man had been nothing but a boy when Aro found him – a runaway, a thief, known for his trickery in the village. He had been somewhat of a lab rat for Aro, testing his magic on the small boy. Years later, his assistant was a successful endeavor – the boy could take the shape of any animal he pleased with virtually no preparation. His favorite shape was that of a black crow, and he was often seen perched on the end of his master's staff. Now, in human form, he stepped forward.

"Demitri," he grumbled. "There has to be something we're not finding. You're sure you've checked everywhere, used every mean?"

"Everywhere, yes. I've tracked every trail that leaves from the castle, every possible inch."

Aro sighed in defeat. "With your tracking talents, I believed we would in due time find her. You haven't picked up a trace...no one has! The girl has got to be somewhere! Take your leave and this time do not come back until you find her!" Aro bellowed, his eyes going wide.

Demitri nodded, his gaze firm. He bowed to his master, his form already quivering. Within seconds, he had transformed into a flapping black bird. He took off through the broken glass of the tower window to begin his search. Master did not like to be disappointed, and it had been a long seventeen years. The search was on. He soared away in his new form, with a new sense of determination. He would be able to see like a hawk and scan the tallest trees like this.

This time, he would find her.

* * *

Somewhere far away, deep in the forest, there was a small cottage. The trees and greenery nearly camouflaged it completely from outside eyes. This was where the princess had been stowed away for the last seventeen years. Her whereabouts remained a mystery to all those around, letting the good fairies carry out their clever plan. Living like mortals, they had reared the child as their own and called her 'Nessie'.

Her royal background unknown to her, Nessie had grown up a happy child and had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Her hair was long and shone like polished copper, her eyes were the creamiest chocolate brown, and her skin was as fair as the snow. She had long eyelashes, pink lips, and rosy cheeks. She looked every bit a princess, yet, she believed she was only an orphaned peasant girl. The good fairies felt terrible betraying her, but it was the only way they knew of ensuring her safety. They lived simply and quietly in their backwoods cottage, but things would soon change for all of them.

* * *

**Thank you to NinkyBaby for beta-ing! : )**

**Please review! More this weekend.  
**


	7. Chapter 6: The Dream

**Chapter 6: The Dream**

* * *

Nessie tossed and turned in her simple down bed, her coppery curls a mess against the pillow. She was dreaming; teetering on the cusp of being awake, yet far enough in her dreams to still be asleep. She didn't wish to wake for this was too good a dream.

In the dream, she was no ordinary orphan girl, bound to the confines of the woodland cottage; instead, she was a woman. She wore a dress of red velvet and was deep in the forest, further than she had ever gone. She was lost, but instead of feeling scared, she felt hope. For even though she didn't know the way, she could feel she was on the brink of something exciting. She wandered back and forth in the misty green setting, but she wasn't searching for the cottage.

What was she seeking?

Suddenly, there he was. His face was blurry and half hidden in the mist, but she could tell that he was very much what she was looking for. Tall, dark, and handsome, and everything she had hoped to find. He stood before her in the clearing, his hand extended out, beckoning her to come to him. Without hesitating, she placed her hand in his and was instantly overcome with a deep, glowing happiness. He pulled her near, his face coming closer to hers. Nessie sucked in a breath, anticipating the feeling of his mouth against her own when —

A bird twittering in the windowsill made her eyes open slightly, she groaned, closing them tightly again.

"Oh no...no no no," she whined, turning over in her bed. She rolled all the way over, jamming her feather pillow on top of her head with a grumble. It was no use, she was wide awake. The dream of the handsome mystery man was already growing more and more foggy in her mind.

Predictably, she had woken up at the precise moment she had been anticipating for weeks now. When his mouth was close to hers, something would always wake her.

Nessie rose up from the bed, sighing heavily. She didn't want to wake up from that glorious dream! At least the thought of the pleasant, handsome man from her dreams would give her something nice to think of all day.

Throwing open the windows to her cottage room, she let the morning sunlight pour inside. Wanting a moment to herself, she propped her elbows up on the sill and gazed out at the green forest below. Was this all there was for her? Wasn't there anything more besides life in the lonesome little cottage? Of course she was grateful for the three spinsters who had taken her in. They had given her a comfortable life and she grew up happy. They were kind and educated and patient – what more could a girl ask for in a trio of caretakers? They left nothing to want for, yet she found herself doing just that.

But for what?

She wasn't sure.

A little sparrow landed on the sill beside her, chirping happily. She tried her best to smile and welcome the day, but she couldn't help but feel slightly melancholic after her dream had abruptly ended.

"I suppose I can't live in a dream all my life, can I?"

The tiny bird stared up at her with a blank expression. It chirped once, ruffling its feathers.

"You'd think I'd get to at least finish my dream on my own birthday."

The bird chirped in response.

"I know it was only a dream, but...it was such a good dream. I never wanted to wake up. He was so handsome...I...I think...I didn't see much of his face but—"

"Nessie! Nessie dear, are you up?"

"Shhh!"

"Don't wake her up!"

The voices of the three spinsters she thought so fondly of drifted up the staircase. Nessie rolled her eyes as she slipped into her simple cotton dress and tied one side of her hair back with a pin to keep it away from her face. She was sure the three of them had thought something up for today. Even though her life was uncomplicated and her worries minimal, she couldn't help but long for more.

"Oh, I'd better go see what they're up to," she told the sparrow. He chirped again and fluttered away as she made her way down the steps.

* * *

Little known to Nessie, the three good fairies or spinsters as she knew them had much in store for her that day. On this day, her seventeenth birthday, the good fairies had planned a party with something extra special for a surprise. They had laid out plans for a special gown to be made along with an exquisite cake. Everything had to be perfect for that was the day they had planned to tell her the truth; that she was no ordinary orphaned peasant girl by any means.

She was Princess Renesmee of the kingdom of Forks.

And that night, they were returning her to her parents, the king and queen. For seventeen years they had guarded her with their lives, loving her and caring for her as if she were their own while her true whereabouts remained a mystery to the outside world. The time had come to tell her who she really was - a princess.

"Well now, how about this one?"

"I picked this one."

"Oh, she'll look beautiful in that!"

"Yes, but how will we get her out of the house to make it?"

"Why, we'll just—"

Nessie smiled to herself as she interrupted their planning by creeping down the wooden steps from her bedroom. "Well, what's this? What are you three up to this morning?"

The three fairies-in-hiding looked at each other incredulously, their acting skills lacking. "Up to?" they asked in unison.

"Um...we...we..."

"We..."

"Erm..."

Rosalie thought quickly, grabbing an empty basket from a nearby table. "We wanted you to pick some berries!" she exclaimed.

"Berries?" Nessie asked flatly. "You're joking." She looked around the room in question, wrinkling her nose. "But I just picked berries yesterday," she argued.

"Well, we need more," Bella said quickly.

"Yes, much more!" Alice chimed in. They all laughed nervously, grabbing Nessie by the elbows and leading her to the door.

"Lots!" Rosalie assured her. "We need much more."

Before Nessie could argue, she was shoved outside and the half door of their cottage kitchen was swinging closed.

"Don't hurry back!" Bella called out, giving her a wave.

"But don't go too far!"

"And don't speak to strangers!"

"Goodbye dear!"

As the three ladies bid her goodbye, Nessie rolled her eyes to herself and decided to play along to humor them. If they wanted her to slip away for a few hours, she would oblige. She loved the three spinsters that had raised her, and she just wanted to make them happy.

"Bye!" she called back happily, wandering down the path. "I'm leaving now"

"Yes dear, take your time!"

As their Nessie disappeared down the worn path, the three of them grinned giddily. "We did it!"

"I wonder if she suspects anything?" Alice mused, turning her small head in question.

"Of course not! Now come on. Will she _ever_be surprised. Hurry, we have to start right away if we ever hope to finish our preparations!"

"A real birthday party!" Alice trilled, clapping her hands.

"With a cake," Bella added dreamily, biting her lip.

"And a dress only a princess can be proud of!" Rosalie added.

They rushed back into the house and began the preparations for the birthday party. They had never been so excited for a birthday since the little girl had been born.

"I'll get the wands!" Alice chimed happily, retreating up the steps.

"Yes, you get the...the wands. No! No magic!" Bella suddenly screeched.

"But..." Alice whined, "but the seventeen years are almost over! We've lived like mortals this whole time! I want to use magic."

"We can't take the chance," Bella gently reminded her. "It's too dangerous!"

"But..." Alice sputtered, "we can't possibly get all this done! I've never baked a cake before!'

"Oh, you won't have to sister. I'll make the cake," Bella said, already lost in her own world. She grinned and rushed over to the cupboard, throwing it open. "I'll make it ten layers with pink flowers and blue icing..."

"But you've never cooked!" Alice argued vehemently.

"Oh well, it's simple really...it has to be. You just follow the directions."

"Oh, let her try," Rosalie chided her. "She's always wanted to bake a pretty cake. This might be her last chance to do it. Tonight, when we take her back home, we'll get our wands back – this is our last day living as mortals. Let her do it."

"But we don't know how!" Alice maintained.

"Oh, we can do it!" Bella laughed, opening the cabinets. She quickly and rather clumsily gathered all of the proper items, letting them fall to the table with a clatter. Alice was right – they hadn't ever done anything as elaborate as what they had planned. They lived a simple, quiet, peasant life in the forest. The three of them had learned to bake simple things; hard boiled eggs, corn muffins, and loaves of wheat bread. Their clothes were a step above rags; nothing that would ever draw attention to them whatsoever. In her opinion, Alice had reason to worry about the day's planned activities.

Rosalie instructed them about their duties for the day. "I'll do the dress." Now Alice, can you stand up here and be the dummy for me," Rosalie instructed, shoving her sister onto a footstool.

"I still say we should use magic," Alice grumbled, arching her back as Rosalie nudged her to stand up straight. She grabbed the scissors and a bolt of pink fabric and began to drape it around her sister.

"What on earth? What's that hole you're cutting for?"

"Well, erm...that's for the feet to go through," Rosalie explained.

"Ulgh, but it's pink!" Alice groaned, wrinkling her nose as she gazed in the corner mirror.

"Why yes, it's Nessie's favorite color."

"She told me her favorite color was green," Alice replied skeptically, pointing to the sleeve of her green commoners dress. Rosalie rolled her eyes, glancing down at her own violet colored, tatty dress.

"Everyone knows that girls with bronze hair look better in the warmer colors. Just think of her skin tone!"

"I am," Alice said thoughtfully. "And I for one think green would offset her pink cheeks!"

"Now dear, we decided pink was her color."

"Y_ou_decided," Alice snapped.

"Now girls, we can't be arguing. This is too important a day!" Bella interjected from the kitchen. She clumsily poured the flour into the wooden bowl before her, paying little mind to what she was spilling.

"Three cups...um..." She looked around the kitchen quizzically, turning to frown at the recipe in front of her. "Salt – one 'tsp'...what's a 'tsp'?"

"Teaspoon!" Alice snapped from her spot on the stool. Rosalie growled to herself, eyeing the small girl in front of her as she shoved her arms up in the air.

"Hold still! Alice, you fidget more than a chicken!"

With the scissors, she cut two gaping holes in the side of the bunched up fabric.

"What's that for?"

"That's for the arms, silly," she laughed. Using the measuring tape, she quickly measured the distance from the top of Alice's head to the floor. "Gracious, how that child has grown!"

Alice sighed, letting her shoulders slump. "It seems like only yesterday we just brought her here."

"Just a tiny baby," Bella added wistfully.

Suddenly, there was a sniffing sound in the corner of the room. Both Rosalie and Alice looked up in alarm to see their sister holding back tears.

"Why, Alice, what's wrong?"

Alice sniffed again and wiped her eyes. "Well...soon she'll be a princess and we won't have our Nessie!"

Rosalie bit her lip, returning to her work pinning a sash across the waist of the dress. "No sisters, we all knew this day would come. You can't expect the king and queen to let us keep her forever. Don't they deserve to know Nessie as their daughter?"

"But why did it have to come so soon?" Alice pleaded.

"We're had her to ourselves for seventeen years," Bella reminded them.

"Seventeen wonderful years," Rosalie agreed. "Besides – she has the opportunity to live as a princess. We can't deny her that. We must remember that she is no ordinary girl and deserves to enjoy the finer things in life. It's her birthright, after all. We wouldn't want her to miss out on that, would we?"

The three of them sulked in silence for a few moments, each fondly remembering their own happy memories with the child through the years. The time had flown by, and they would all be sad to return the girl to her parents.

"I _do _hope the king and queen have been satisfied with the job we've done," Bella said softly.

"I think they will. She's stubborn at times and a little rambunctious, but what seventeen year old girl isn't?"

"True," Alice agreed. She shifted on her chair and looked up at her sisters. "Do you erm...think the three knights will remember us?" she asked.

"Well...who's to say? After all, it's been seventeen years."

"Do you think they consumed the serum we gave them?"

Rosalie sighed deeply, continuing her work. "We'll just have to wait and see. Luckily, we won't have to wait much longer."

* * *

Thank you to NinkyBaby for her beta skills!


	8. Chapter 7: The Prince

Chapter 7: The Prince

* * *

Princess Renesmee, or Nessie, wasn't the only one who had grown up during her seventeen years with the three good fairies.

Prince Jacob, now twenty four, was flourishing as the prince of the nearby Quileute lands. His father, William had stayed close friends with their neighboring King Carlisle over the years. Jacob, of course, knew of his betrothal to the missing princess of Forks, but now that the time was coming for her return, he found himself growing rather anxious.

Little was known about the princess of Forks. All Jacob knew was that she was to turn seventeen that day and that he was promised to marry her. And he knew that he had no such interest in such an arrangement.

Leaning on his balcony railing, he frowned at the forbidden territory of Volturi in the distance. It was the one area of land where dark clouds constantly loomed. The green bolts of lightning which contained Aro's rage constantly lit up the sky and reflected against the gloomy darkness.

"For many years, you have watched Aro's mountainside."

William's voice cut through his thoughts. Turning around, he saw his father standing in the doorway of the balcony. Jacob nodded politely to his father who walked over to stand at his side. Together, they watched the furious wrath of Aro against the stormy backdrop.

"I like to monitor him, yes."

William smiled. "Son, you have watched his mountainside for so long now. Why do you do this?"

"I want to keep track of him, is all."

"For what purpose? He knows and has known for seventeen years that he has failed in his evil prophecy. Today is the princess' seventeenth birthday. Soon, she will be returned to her parents, safe and sound. Your betrothal still lives. That much is obvious as we can see Aro's anger.

Jacob tried not to look too disappointed. "I wish to aide in her safe return in any way I can," he replied dutifully, "I would never wish any harm to come upon the girl."

"And you shouldn't. She is your future wife!"

Jacob sighed, gripping the stone railing in front of him. "About that, father...what if I have no interest in taking her as a wife? I mean...I barely know her."

"Know her? What's that got to do with it?" William asked sternly. "Now Jacob, you cannot go back on this. I have had this planned with King Carlisle since you were in diapers. Before the princess was naught but a gleam in her mother's eye!"

"Yes, but...did you ever think of what I wanted? Did you ever stop to think that maybe I didn't want to marry her?"

William was fuming. "Why on earth wouldn't you? She is Carlisle's daughter, she is of royal blood! Tis a match made in heaven!" he bellowed.

Jacob grit his teeth. "Yes, but what if I don't want to marry her? Can't we just be friends? Allies?"

"Why simply be allies when you can be married? Bonded by blood? She is the daughter of Esme, dear boy. You have laid eyes on the Queen yourself. Princess Renesmee is a beauty; I would bet my life on it. Now what is all this about?"

"I couldn't care less about how pretty she is! I don't know her. What am I to do with a perfect stranger?"

"Why, get to know her! Come now boy, how do you think marriage works?"

Jacob turned away, his fists balled up at his sides. How had he imagined marriage? He thought a moment about what it would be like to meet a girl. Not just any girl, but his perfect match. He had heard of things like that happening before, meeting someone and finding love at first sight. She would be funny, smart, and someone to laugh and tell stories with. She would ride with him and they could talk for hours. Of course she would be pretty, but good looks only lasted so long. What if she had nothing interesting to say? They would be bored with each other before the first week had even passed.

"I just pictured meeting someone on my own is all," he muttered quietly.

William heaved a sigh. "Son, you have known of this arrangement for years now. Why are you suddenly so anxious about it finally coming to fruition?"

"Seventeen years went by rather quickly, I suppose," Jacob mused. "What if we have nothing in common? What if she's boring or rude or just not attracted to me?"

William shook his head. "I care not about all that. What matters is that you fulfill your obligations to your kingdoms. You and her both!"

"So, suddenly marriage is an obligation? That explains a lot," Jacob spat angrily. William gaped at his son for speaking to him so brashly. Jacob had always been aggressive and hot headed but never out of spite for anyone in his family.

His eyes narrowed at his son. "You will do as you have promised, son."

"No father, what _you _promised. And since when did an arranged marriage help anyone around here?"

William was suddenly aghast as Jacob referred to his mother and his own wife. Queen Sarah had come to William in an arranged marriage from the distant land of Makah. William and Sarah were known throughout the palace for their screaming matches. Sarah had even thrown a goblet or two at William more than once.

"Your mother and I share our differences. But we have grown to love and respect each other."  
"How romantic," Jacob spat."

William just shook his head. "She is full of fire, just like you."

"Well, call my crazy, father, but I'm not exactly looking forward to a union like that. Good day, father."

With that, Jacob spun on his heel and left the balcony. Grumbling to himself, he tore down the hallways of the palace with no place in mind. It was true; he would do anything he could to help defeat Aro and return the innocent girl to her parents. That was simply the right thing to do. She hadn't done anything to deserve Aro's wrath, and Jacob did enjoy beating the bad guy in the equation. However, he had no interest in marrying a fix up. He wanted to choose for himself. What sane person didn't?

He was walking so quickly, he almost ran into two figures that were coming around the corner.

"Oh...Jake!" his sister Rachel, squeaked. Jacob looked up from the ground a millisecond before colliding with her and her husband, Paul.

"What's wrong?" she asked, quickly noticing the look on her younger brother's face.

"Oh...father," he grumbled.

Paul shifted on his feet, clearly uninterested in Jacob's problems. "I'll give you two a moment," Paul said quietly. Before departing, he placed a quick kiss on Rachel's temple before excusing himself in the opposite direction. Rachel watched him leave with a wistful sigh, her brown eyes going hazy.

"You act like you've never laid eyes on him before, sister," Jacob playfully sneered at his younger sister, giving her a friendly elbow. Rachel slapped his shoulder before linking her arm with his.

"Walk with me," she said simply. He nodded, starting off down the long hall on her arm. "I could hear you fighting with father all the way down near the library. What was it this time, big brother?"

Jacob growled to himself, rolling his eyes. "Well, if all goes according to his plan, I'm going to meet my fiancé tonight."

"And you don't want to?"

He stopped walking to face her. "No Rach, I don't. I have no interest in marrying a seventeen year old princess whom I've never met, thank you."

"I'm only eighteen," she pointed out, "am I so bad?"

"You're my sister, you don't count."

"I mean as a person. You and I get along fine."

"No, that's not what I'm saying. I just...I don't want to marry her."

Rachel sighed, patting his hand. "Ah, I see. You want to choose for yourself then?"

He nodded. "I guess I knew this day was coming, but now that it's here...I feel like I'm suffocating. Father is insisting that I fall in love with this girl right away – only because she's my betrothed. But it doesn't work like that!"

"Well, how do you know you won't like her?"

"That's not the point."

"Did you ever even stop whining for a second to consider that?"

"Well...no..."

"You're just being stubborn now, Jake. Why don't you meet her before you panic and do something that will upset our parents, or worse, Queen Esme? They only want peace for our people and solidarity. I don't believe they did this to you to make you unhappy."

"Well, it is making me unhappy. If I'm to be kind, then why can't I pick my own bride?"

"Don't whine, brother. Meet her first and then see how you feel. Did you ever stop to think that she might be thinking the same thing about you, wherever she is?"

Jacob stopped in his tracks, completely gob smacked. He had honestly never even considered that idea. "Err...no."

Rachel smiled, tossing her long brunette braid over her shoulder. "_Men_. You're so much like Paul. He's stubborn to a fault but so passionate he sometimes forgets to use that head of his. You both are like two peas in a pod, Jacob."

"Now don't go comparing me with your silly husband. I'm not that bad."

"Oh Jake...just stop and think this through. She might want nothing to do with you and you'll be off the hook. Surely her parents won't make her marry you if you both despise each other?"

"She would despise me?"

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"I should hope not. But you're right, sister, I can't go on hope alone."

"And who says?" she challenged back.

Jacob thought a moment. "Well, of course you're going to argue for love's sake. You were just married at the last full moon! You're still in the honeymoon stage of your marriage to Paul anyway. I see the lovey dovey looks you give him all the time."

"Brother, why don't you at least wait to see what the princess is like before you make your decision. That is all. Give her a chance before you decide one way or another. Will you do this for me?"

He stared down at his younger sister who was obviously much wiser than her years. She was making him feel like a ninny for acting the way he was and for arguing with their elderly father.

"You just never know if she will even like you. She might think you look like a horse's rear," Rachel teased, poking his side.

Jacob growled and pretended to be angry with her. "I'll see you later. I'm going for a ride," he muttered, brushing past her. He looked over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at her, which she returned. Jacob's stubbornness clearly knew no bounds.

Rachel watched her brother leave, frustrated with him. She hoped that someday he would understand the importance of love and patience.

* * *

Jacob raced out of the stable with his horse, kicking dirt and debris up as they galloped toward the forest. He didn't care where he went, he just wanted to get away from the castle. A forest separated the Quileute kingdom from Forks, and that was just where he was headed. The woods were deep, uninhabited, and beautiful. Just the place he wanted to get away from everything that was plaguing him.

His faithful steed, a white stallion named Charlie, carried him out of the town and into the forest. The early morning sunlight shone through the trees, casting a warm glow on the greenery around him. However, Jacob paid no mind. Deeper and deeper into the woods he raced, trying to clear his head of his arguments with his family.

They simply didn't understand him enough to judge what he was going through.

His father had been in an arranged marriage to his mother Sarah for decades now, so he was accustomed to the idea of it. His sister, Rachel, had fallen for her betrothed, Paul, on first sight. They had been friends as teenagers, and Rachel had harbored a crush on him from the start. He had been a knight training with Jacob, and to her delight, he was chosen to be her husband. Of course she was thrilled. Jacob had practically keeled over from shock at how his normally gruff and temperamental friend was quickly turned into a puddle of mushy, lovey dovey goo by his little sister of all people.

It was disgusting.

"Ah," he groaned in defeat. No matter how fast Charlie ran, he knew he couldn't run away from his duties as the future king. The fact that he was supposed to marry this girl and eventually take his father's place was something that would follow him wherever he went.

There was no escaping fate.

"Whoa," he called to Charlie, leaning back in his saddle. Charlie snorted, tossing his white head and obeying even though he was clearly up for a good gallop. Jacob smiled as the horse slowed to a pleasant trot. "Atta boy. I just need to get out of there for a few hours," he said, patting the horse on the neck.

Charlie snorted again, shaking his head as if to say, "Pay no mind."

Jacob had to laugh to himself – even for a horse, Charlie was straightforward and not up for any nonsense. He always seemed to be willing to lend a listening ear at times.

"I suppose Rachel is right. I should just meet the girl first. That is, if she ever comes back. No one has even seen or heard a peep from her in seventeen years. What if she's gone off to a faraway land, never to return? Then I suppose I wouldn't have to worry as much."

Charlie simply swished his tail. They trotted through the calm, overgrown yet beautiful forest for an hour or so in silence, Jacob deep in thought over the princess. The ride had helped him settle his thoughts and he began to feel better about everything.

"Thanks, old boy. I just needed to calm down. I'll have to go back and face them sooner or later. Tonight, we ride to Forks to see the princess. I guess I'll find out then if I like her or not," Jacob mused, half to himself, half to his horse. Charlie snorted again.

They trotted around for a few more minutes in silence. Then, a beautiful noise filled the trees.

"What on earth?" he asked himself. It was obviously a woman singing, but what would a woman be doing all the way out in the woods?"

"Charlie, do you suppose she's lost?" he asked the horse.

Charlie snorted as if to say, 'Nonsense.'

"You hear that?" he whispered as the singing continued. "Beautiful voice. What is it? Er, whose is it? We...we should go investigate, shouldn't we? It could be...well...I think we should just go and see."

Again, the soft humming floated into his ears, further enticing him. Standing up in his saddle, he strained to see the source of the soft, melodic noise. Charlie, however, was quickly growing bored with all of this nonsense and strained to keep walking. Jacob yanked on the rains, pulling him in the previous direction.

"Aw, come on. For an extra bucket of oats? Maybe a carrot?"

Charlie paused, 'carrot' being one of the new words in his limited knowledge of words that he liked to hear. He let Jacob turn him around and spur him in the direction of the singing. Together, they darted further into the forest at a full gallop. When the sound of the woman's voice drew near, Jacob pulled up on Charlie's rains and slowed to a halt.

There, in the clearing through the thicket of wild berries, was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

* * *

**Thank you to NinkyBaby for betaing this! I hope you guys are enjoying my little side project - it's been so much fun to write!**


	9. Chapter 8: The Meeting

**Chapter 8: The Meeting**

* * *

Renesmee wandered through the familiar forest, stopping here and there to watch as the little woodland animals ran about. Spring was in the air as she watched them bounce excitedly through the woods with her. No matter how she tried, she couldn't shake the image of the dark, handsome man from her dream. The memory of her enchanted realm of sleep was quickly fading with every thought. Dismay coated her thoughts as she lazily twisted a twig between her fingers.

_Even the squirrels and rabbits have someone to run about with_, she thought sadly to herself. When would she have a chance to meet someone someday? The three women who had raised her claimed to be spinsters; they were sisters who had never found husbands although she wasn't sure she believed that. They were all so beautiful, they probably could have enchanted any man they happened upon. Of course, they didn't ever happen upon _anyone_ living so deep in the forest.

The only way she knew to escape was to read and reread the meager collection of books she had found in the attic. There she had learned of faraway lands, of princes, castles, and every magical thing between. She had lived a very isolated life, far away from anyone and everyone. The only friends she had were the people, the books and the women who had raised her.

"They never wanted me to meet anyone," she laughed to herself. She took a slight detour to a babbling brook that ran through the trees and stopped to perch on a rock. Her feet dipped into the chill water as she thought about her dream again.

"Well, the joke is on them. Because I have met someone!"

A sparrow, perhaps the same one from her window that morning, came fluttering to the ground to rest beside her. It chirped happily as if asking her to continue.

"Oh, a prince. He's tall and handsome, with dark hair and soft brown eyes, and... so romantic!

The bird chirped again, egging her on.

"Oh, we take walks and talk and tell stories. He asks about me and maybe we go on a picnic and spend the day watching the clouds float across the sky," she sighed. "And just before he drops me off at my house, he takes me in his arms and—"

She stopped, opening her eyes to look down at the expectant looking sparrow.

"And then… I wake up," she said sadly.

The bird gave a small, quiet little chip. "He's only in my dreams. But... they say if you dream something more than once, it's bound to come true! Well, at least my books say that. And I've seen him so many times..."

She sighed and stared at the water for a few more minutes. Figuring it was no good to mope, she stood up and stretched, trying to smile. Walking to the top of a hill, she spied the white castle in the distance. It was so tiny it had taken her years to notice it, nestled into the background of the mountains. The white walls seemed to glitter like a diamond from where she stood, smiling thoughtfully to herself. When she had asked the three spinsters about it, they had brushed off saying no one of great importance lived there. How could they not be important to live in such a beautiful place? She didn't understand.

Then again, she didn't understand most things that went on in the cottage. For instance, she wasn't sure why she had been shoved out into the woods to pick berries for the second time this week. She knew for a fact that there was a fresh bowl of them on the kitchen table.

"They're up to something," she said to a squirrel on a nearby branch. "Oh, no matter."

With that, she began to hum quietly to herself as she busied herself with her task of the day. She had been so busy picking berries and singing to herself that she didn't notice Jacob on the other side of the thicket. He had crept closer and closer, listening to her as she spoke. She had practically described him! He could hardly contain his excitement.

_Let's see... I'm tall... dark... brown eyes... last time I checked I'm a prince... I can be romantic, right? Well, for her I could be. Wow... she's so beautiful... none of the girls in my kingdom look like that, _he thought as he watched her.

Jacob observed her from the bushes for a few moments, debating what to do. This was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. Normally confident and self-assured, he was suddenly fumbling for the right words to use to properly introduce himself. He didn't want to frighten her, yet he didn't want to go unnoticed. What if he never saw her again?

Charlie was behind him, quickly growing impatient being tethered to his tree. With a soft nicker of encouragement, he backed his hindquarters around to the perfect angle. With one gentle kick, his hoof landed squarely on Jacob's rear end, sending him careening through the bushes. He landed with a loud _oof!_ On the other side.

Nessie jumped up, her eyes wide as she spotted the stranger on the forest floor. He groaned into the grass and shook his head, climbing onto all fours. She could hear his horse whinnying from the other side of the thick bushes. He groaned, his hand reaching behind himself to rub where he had been kicked.

Slowly, he realized he was at the beautiful woman's feet. Looking upward, he squinted into the sunlight. "Oh, erm... hi."

Nessie gasped lightly, backing up further. Her body was singing with alarm as the man struggled to his feet. Fear and uncertainty shot through her as he realized he was quite tall and much bigger than her. His arms were thick and muscled, his broad chest making the cloth of his white tunic stretch slightly. She stared in disbelief as he straightened up, wincing slightly from his fall.

Her fear began to subside slightly as she realized this wasn't just any man; this was the man from her dreams! Impossible... but it had to be.

"Hello?" he asked again, giving her a tentative smile. She backed up again, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"You um... you ordered a prince?" he joked, giving her his best grin. He was by far the most handsome man she had ever seen, albeit the only man she had ever seen. Although the face of the prince in her dreams was blurry and quickly fading, he did resemble what images she could remember.

Nessie's mouth fell open slightly before she had the sense to close it. "I... I..."

Jacob panicked as her fear became tangible. She was nearly backed up against a tree, her eyes wide with uncertainty as her hands shook slightly.

"I'm sorry," he replied softly, reaching out a hand. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I won't hurt you," he assured her gently.

Nessie watched as he flashed her another dazzling smile. "Oh... I..." she stammered, her stance relaxing slightly. "It wasn't that... it's just that you're... y-you're a stranger."

He tried not to let her get too afraid. He reached his hand out again, gently taking hers in his. Warm sparks of pleasant feelings shot up his veins, seeming to encase his heart like a snare as he gazed into her eyes. She stared back, her mouth falling open again. "Didn't you say we've met before?"

"Oh... n-no, I'd... I'd remember," she sputtered.

"You said you dreamt of a prince... Well, I'm a prince."

"You are?"

He nodded. "And I'm tall, and I have dark hair and brown eyes and... er, I hope I'm handsome. Um... I can be romantic too, I guess... if... if you want," he added softly. "Never was before, but... never had a reason to be, I suppose," he mused. "Hopefully."

Nessie stared into his brown eyes, unsure of what to say. It was a tempting offer, yet the words of the three spinsters rang in her mind. She wasn't supposed to trust any strangers, much less talk to them. She had never met this man, so he was technically a stranger. But... he was awfully kind and good looking. However, she had been taught that evil things could often come in appealing packages. Was that the case with this man?"

"Well... yes, I admit I did describe... something like that, but... I don't know you."

Jacob's eyes widened. "Well here... let me introduce myself. I'm Jake."

"And... you're a prince?"

"Of a faraway land," he replied casually, crossing his arms. He didn't usually play up the whole 'prince' aspect, but now was as good a time as ever. He just knew that he had to keep talking to this girl. "I was out riding on my horse, Charlie when I happened upon this forest. I heard you singing, and...I had to meet you. Tell me your name?"

"I... I shouldn't. I shouldn't trust anyone I just met."

His shoulders slumped. "But if you told me our name, we wouldn't be strangers," he whined.

She frowned at him. "But how do I know to trust you?"

He thought a moment, frantically searching his mind for any clue that she could trust him. He walked over to where Charlie stood and pulled the great white horse over to show her the flap on his saddle and matching sword sheath. "Would any commoner have a seal like this?" he asked, gesturing to the royal seal of the Quileute kingdom.

"Well... I've never seen one before," she replied skeptically. He frowned again before tapping the horse's shoulder. Annoyed, the great white beast turned around to give him a glance.

"Would any untrustworthy man name a horse Charlie?"

She bit back a smile. "Well... I suppose not," she said. "But even if you're a prince and you're trustworthy, that's all fine, but I still don't know you." she insisted with a laugh.

Jacob reached out, grasping her small hand in his. "Please, I beg of you. I've never seen someone so beautiful. I swear on everything I own that I'm not someone you shouldn't trust... please," he begged softly. "Tell me your name."

"I shouldn't," she repeated firmly, shaking her head.

"But I won't hurt you. I just want to know your name so we won't be strangers anymore."

"It's... Carlie," she stuttered, blinking a few times. His gaze was quickly making her weak in the knees, and her middle name was all she could think of in her moment of need. His eyes were as dark and smooth as the chocolate Alice had given her once, and she found herself getting lost in them.

Jacob wasn't faring any better. This girl was unlike anything he had seen before. Her skin was pale and lovely with just the tiniest bit of pink on her cheeks when she blushed, which she happened to be doing quite a bit of at the moment. Her long, bronzed hair fell in waves around her shoulders, accenting her lovely brown eyes. To him, she gave a new definition of beauty.

"Well good. Now we know each other – you're Carlie and I'm Jake. See?" he laughed. "We know each other now."

"I suppose," she replied slowly. "But... what are you doing all the way out here?"

Jacob's strong smile wavered as he remembered why he was out in the forest to begin with. "Honestly?"

"You said I could trust you," she reminded him gently. He dropped her hand and sighed. "I had a disagreement with my father. You see, I love him and all, but he's just so..."

"So what?"

"Controlling," he said quietly. "Sometimes I think he wants to count the number of times I'm allowed to breathe in a day!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah... he just thinks he can run my life just because of who he is. He never stops to think about what I might want to do."

"Well... sometimes people can be like that," she agreed.

He looked up. "Does someone try to tell you what to do too?"

She nodded. "I know exactly how you feel. My erm... aunts can be the same way. They tell me that they know best, and I should do as I'm told, but..." she paused, picking up the hem of her tattered dress, "they never really consider what I want to do either. Perhaps I want more than life to live... well..." She stopped herself, not wanting to divulge too much.

"Live, how?"

She shrugged, turning to look over her shoulder at the castle in the distance. "Sometimes I just wonder what else is out there. Waiting for me."

He nodded in agreement. "I feel the same," he replied, picking her hand up again. He squeezed it lightly, making her jump and glance at their skin as it touched. Jacob began to casually walk with her hand in his, his stride slow and easy. Nessie followed; she was still a bit afraid, but really more enchanted with him than she thought was probably wise. He did look an awfully lot like the man in her dreams, she thought. How bad could he be? She knew her reasoning was foolish, but she felt the urge to trust him. Besides, he wasn't asking any questions about where she lived or where she came from.

They walked through the woods and talked, still hand in hand. The more they talked, the more they found many things they had in common. They both felt like they were being held prisoner by their loved ones, never able to make their own decisions. The hours passed one by one, and soon it was almost dusk. Nessie knew she should be returning home soon, but she was far too enamored of Jake to even think of leaving.

"Let's go up this way. I've gone up here one other time to watch the sunset. It's magnificent," he said, pulling her up the hill.

"You've come here before?"

He nodded. "I've had a lot of disagreements with my father, I guess you could say," he admitted sheepishly.

"I'm sad we've never met before now," she admitted.

"Perhaps it wasn't in the stars yet?" he suggested.

She blushed and followed him further up the hill. She had come here before too, to watch the valley below; how was it that they hadn't met? It occurred to her that perhaps Jake was right – fate had a funny way of doing things sometimes.

Together they found a low hanging branch of an oak tree to lean on together to watch the sunset. Nessie didn't resist as he pulled her close, draping his arm around her shoulders. Dreamily, she rested her head in the crook of his neck with a relaxed sigh. She had finally found her prince, and he was everything she had hoped for and more.

This felt right.

"So... you visit the woods often then?"

"Sometimes I come out into the woods just to think. There aren't any rules or politics out here. Just me and Charlie."

"Oh, we can't forget about him!" she giggled. Jake smiled at the sound and nodded. "He doesn't mind one bit. He's just as stubborn as me. Sometimes more."

"Oh, I don't think you're stubborn."

"You don't? Oh, just get to know me. I'm worse than a mule, or so my sister says."

Nessie thought a moment, considering what she knew of him so far. "I don't think you're stubborn, just... strong willed. Like I am. We would never hurt the people we love intentionally, but we also want to be happy."

He looked down at her, pulling his arm tighter around her shoulders. Nessie leaned into him further, her body almost flush with his.

"You know... I know I just met you, but you make me happy. You understand me like no one else does," he admitted.

"You make me happy too. Now I know that reality can be as nice as my dreams. It's a wonderful feeling to meet someone who understands me," she said.

"I know. It really does."

He stared down at her, completely entranced by her beauty. Not only was Carlie lovely and the most beautiful girl he had ever met, but she was kind and understanding. She had a fiery attitude and firm beliefs, and yet she was also very witty and charming. Suddenly, he found himself believing in love at first sight. He understood why Rachel was always so giddy and happy. Why she was always laughing at a private joke with Paul.

It was love.

But how could he love someone he had just met? He wasn't sure of the answer to that, but he knew that when he looked upon this girl, his heart was the happiest than it had ever been. For the first time since he could remember, he felt certain about something. Nessie was wondering the same thing. How was it possible that her dream was finally coming true? Being with Jake was so wonderful. He understood her and listened and didn't tell her that her dreams were silly or ridiculous.

He made her think they were possible. He was every bit the dream she had hoped her first love would be. For there was no doubt in her mind that this was the thing she had read about in her books – love at first sight. Her heart was light and happy, and she never wanted the feeling to stop.

"I never want to leave this place," he murmured, pulling her closer.

They watched as the sun finally dipped down below the horizon. A switch went off in Nessie's mind – it was nearly dark! The three spinsters would be panicking! She had been gone all day and hadn't yet returned - what would they think? Surely they were out looking for her by now.

"I should get you home. When can I see you again?"

"Um... see me?"

"Yes," he said, turning to her. He took both her hands in his and squeezed them gently. "Carlie, this has been the most amazing day of my life. I need to see you again, and soon."

He had to tell his father that the wedding to the Princess was undoubtedly off. There was no way he could think of anyone else after his day with Carlie.

"Oh... I… I…" Nessie sputtered, her mind suddenly panicking. "I can't. I... I have to go!" she said suddenly, her mind filling with panic. The three of them would be furious with her as it was, and she could barely believe she had stayed out this late. Dropping Jacob's hand, she stood quickly and grabbed her basket and cloak from the base of the tree.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, jumping up.

"I... I must go home at once, you see... "

"But when will I see you again?"

"Oh um..." She didn't know what to say. How would she explain Jake? The three fairies were so strict about her not speaking to strangers.

"Carlie—"

"Never!" she called out, wincing at her own words. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest as she quickly took off running towards home.

"Wait!" he called out. "Never?"

"Well... maybe someday," she answered, pausing. She quickly dashed across the rocks of the brook and stumbled slightly before she kept running.

"When? Tomorrow?"

"Oh no, um... tonight. In the cottage. By the glen." she called over her shoulder. It was getting darker and darker by the second, and she knew she would have a verbal lashing waiting for her at home. Surely the three spinsters were worried sick by now. She needed some time to speak to them about Jake and possibly prepare them for her news. Surely the three of them would understand if they were to only meet him. That way, they could see how wonderful he was and all would be well.

Jacob watched after her, utterly confused. Before he could even move, her bronze hair disappeared through the thick green woods. Jacob stood, momentarily frozen in place, his jaw slack and in shock. Pulling himself together, he walked over to Charlie, who appeared just as befuddled by the girl's quick exit. Jacob reached up and scratched behind his ears with a perplexed stare.

"What do you suppose that was about?"

Charlie snorted.

"I have to see her again, Charlie. Tonight, like she said. I'll tell father I can't marry the princess, and I'll ride back to see her. I just have to."

* * *

**Thank you to Ninkybaby for beta-ing! **

**Hope you guys enjoyed this : )**


	10. Chapter 9: The Truth

**Chapter 9: The Truth**

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the cottage, the three fairies in hiding were busy preparing for Nessie's birthday party. Bella was putting the finishing touches on her cake, while Rosalie was struggling to make her version of the dress look like the one in the book. Alice, however, was still pouting.

"This is ridiculous," the tiny fairy growled.

"Oh hush, it is not! She'll love it. Bella how is that cake?"

Bella frowned as she compared her cake to the one in the picture. They really looked nothing alike, it was flat and not fluffy like it was supposed to look, and truthfully, she was clueless as to how to fix the problem. She had done everything the directions had said to, after all.

"It doesn't look like the pictures," she muttered, clumsily slabbing on another layer of frosting. "At all."

"What do you think of the dress?"

"yes, it um... well... it's not exactly the way it looks in the book now, is it?"

"No, I... I made some improvements!" Rosalie exclaimed proudly. She busied herself fluffing a few of the ruffles, moving bows to cover up holes in the stitching. "She'll love it. Of course it will look better on Nessie..."

"I think so too," Bella said politely. "What do you think, Alice?"

Alice made a grunting noise and crossed her arms as one of the dress' sleeves came unsewn and slumped to the side. "I think... I think we've had enough of this nonsense!" she cried. "I think we ought to think of Nessie and what she'll think of this mess!"

"Now Alice," Bella chided. "Rose worked hard on that dress."

"I know she did, but we need to think of Nessie on her birthday. We need to use magic and stop all of this utter ridiculousness. I still think we should do what I suggested before. I'm going to get those wands!"

With that, the tiny fairy darted up the steps to their room where their wands were hidden.

Bella and Rosalie glanced around the room with a grimace. The cake was a sloppy mess on the table, the dress was in a pink heap on the floor, and the room was covered in a mixture of fabric scraps, dust, and runaway flour from Bella's baking.

"I think Alice is right. We've done nothing but make a big mess of things."

Alice came dancing down the steps of the cottage, three magic wands in her hands. "Here they are!" she trilled. "Good as new!"

"Now wait wait wait!" Rosalie chided, yanking them from her hand. "Careful Alice! Quick, lock the doors! Close the windows! Lock up every cranny!"

"We can't take chances this close," Bella agreed. Alice huffed, but said nothing. Together the three of them locked up the house as tight as it could be. It was a mere matter of hours before they needed to return Renesmee to her parents, and they weren't taking any chances.

Once they were certain all was locked up, they went to work. With a flick of her wand, Alice set the broom and mop to work on the cottage. Rosalie busied herself with what was left of the pink material, and Bella instructed her ingredients to read the directions in the cookbook. Objects flew to and fro around the cottage as the three fairies put together a birthday fit for a princess. Before long, the cake was in the oven baking, the dress was almost finished, and the cottage was so clean, it was starting to shine for the first time.

Alice brushed by the dress, eyeing it carefully. "Ulgh, pink," she muttered with disgust. With a flick of her wand, she whispered, "Make it green!"

The dress on the dummy instantly turned a pretty shade of jade green. Rosalie gasped in horror.

"Alice!" she growled. "Make it pink," she said, flicking her wand. The dress turned back to pink, much to Alice's dismay.

"Girls!" Bella warned. "We mustn't argue!"

Her words went ignored.

"Green!"

"Pink!"

As the color war raged on, the three fairies finished their duties and soon everything was ready. The cake was finished, waiting with seventeen candles, the cottage was spotless, and the dress was fit for a princess. The color of the dress had yet to be decided, but all was in order.

"Pink!"

"Green!"

"PINK!"

Sparks shot from their wands across the room as Alice and Rosalie bickered over the dress. Off the table they bounced, onto the ceiling, and off the stones of the hearth. However, they didn't notice the sparks that began to ricochet up the chimney. Soon, sparks of green and pink were spouting from the chimney unbeknownst to them.

There was someone who did take notice.

Demitri, who was in bird form, paused in his current flight. His curiosity was piqued. Circling a few times, he made his way over to where the strange action was taking place. Dipping down through the trees, he quickly hit the ground and shifted back into human form. Stealthily, he snuck up to the side of the house unnoticed. Peeking through a crack in the shutter, he witnessed what was going on.

_Aha! _he rejoiced, cackling to himself. Of course, the three Fairies. He should have known they would be hiding out in the woods like this! How had he not thought of it before? Taking full notice of their peasant garb, he suddenly understood. They had tricked them all.

They had to be hiding the girl with them!

Satisfied by his discovery, he shifted back into a crow. Taking flight, he retreated back to Volturi castle with news his master would definitely want to hear.

* * *

Nessie gleefully skipped up the stone path to the cottage. It was late, but not quite dark yet. She was terribly late coming home, but what news she had. She had met someone and fallen in love at first sight! She knew the three spinsters would be surprised but happy for her.

"Bella! Rose! Alice!" she called, making her way up the path. The three fairies quickly finished what they were doing, hid their wands, and ran to hide. With one final flick of her wand, Rosalie made the dress pink again before tucking it up her sleeve.

"I made it, I get to decide," she hissed to Alice.

"Oh fine," she whispered. "I still think it should be green."

Bursting through the door, Nessie gasped as she realized what was waiting for her.

"Surprise! Surprise! Happy birthday!" they called, jumping out of their hiding places. They raced over to a beaming Nessie who was already fawning over her new dress.

"Oh! This is the most wonderful birthday ever... you darlings! I love each and every one of you!" she gasped, kissing them each on the cheek. "This is the happiest day of my life, just wait till you meet him..."

All three fairies stopped. "Him?"

"Yes!"

"You mean... you mean you met some stranger?" Alice gasped.

"In the forest?"

"Oh well... he's not a stranger. I've been dreaming of him for ages now, and... we have met in a dream, and today we met in the forest!"

Grabbing Bella's hand, she began to hum happily to herself and dance around the room. Spinning around and around, she smiled dreamily.

"She's in love!" Bella gasped.

"Love?" Alice and Rosalie chorused. Nessie nodded happily, spinning Bella around again.

"Oh no..."

"This is terrible!"

Nessie stopped abruptly, gaping at them. "Why? After all, I am seventeen!"

"It's not that dear," Alice relented. "It's just that... well... you're already betrothed."

Nessie gasped. "Betrothed?"

"Yes dear, since the day you were born," Bella added softly, placing her hands on Nessie's shoulders.

"Yes, but it's to Prince Ephraim!" Rosalie said happy. "What could be better than a prince?"

Nessie shook her head in disbelief. "No, that can't be! I... to be betrothed to a prince, I'd have to be a... a..."

"A princess?" Alice asked happily.

"Yes," Nessie sputtered.

"You are dear. You're princess Renesmee Cullen. And tonight, we're taking you back to your father, King Carlisle of Forks."

"What do you mean?" Nessie demanded. "Why are you only telling me this now?"

"We had to keep you safe. And that meant not telling anyone who you were. It was for the best, I promise," Bella said softly.

"But... but I can't go back tonight! He's coming here tonight, and I promised I would meet him, and... I can't, I can't go because I love him!"

"But Nessie, we don't have a choice. Tonight is the night we promised your father we'd bring you back," Bella said.

"Right," Rosalie chimed in, "you must go. I'm sorry Nessie. We've promised your safe return, and tonight is the night," Rosalie insisted.

"But no," Nessie pleaded. "He's coming here tonight, I promised him! I love him, please don't... don't make me leave," she pleaded, tears rolling down her cheeks.

The hearts of the three fairies broke. For seventeen years, they had guarded her with their lives and looked forward to the day when they could tell their Nessie the happy secret. Now to see her so upset was truly unrewarding indeed.

"You must never see him again, I'm afraid," Rosalie told her gently, patting her hand. "Nessie, I'm so sorry."

Nessie's face crumbled with anguish as the news hit her. She was not who she thought she was, and everything she had just been so elated about was being ripped from her.

"No! I can't believe it! No!" With a painful wail, Nessie swore she felt her heart break in her chest. She dashed up the steps to her room, throwing herself on the bed to weep. Minutes ago, she was the happiest girl in the land. Now, it felt like everything was falling apart. All hope seemed lost.

Downstairs, the three fairies were no better.

"And we thought she'd be so happy," Alice said sadly, sniffing to herself.

A huge tear ran down Rosalie's' cheek as she began to weep. "I never meant to hurt her, but we have to do as we promised. Perhaps someday... she'll forgive us."


	11. Chapter 10: The Deviation

**Chapter 9: The Deviation**

* * *

Jacob galloped into the town of Quileute shortly after, sliding to a halt in front of the palace stable. He flew out of his saddle and quickly tethered Charlie to his post. Dashing inside, he quickly washed, shaved, and changed into clean clothes. He wanted to look his best for tonight when he went back to the cottage.

He was going to ask Carlie to marry him.

"What's all the rush?"

"Yeah, shouldn't you be changing into all your golden garb to meet your princess?"

He turned around, wiping his face clean as his two best friends and knights, Quil and Embry stood in the doorway of his quarters.

"You'll never believe it!" he said. "Forget about the Princess! I've met someone."

His two friends exchanged a perplexed look. "What do you mean, you've met someone? Doesn't being betrothed kinda... ya know, cover that for you?" Embry quizzed him.

"No, I mean... well yes, but none of that matters. I've met the girl of my dreams, and in the forest too! I had a fight with dad about... I can barely even remember. I rode into the woods and there she was!"

"Jake, you're talking like a madman," Quil said.

"Yeah, do we need to have your head examined? Did Charlie buck you off again and did some damage?"

The two men laughed at their jokes as Jacob inspected his clean face in the mirror.

"This is too sudden. You're usually rash about things, but this is extreme," Quil said.

"I know, I know... but... I'm in love with her. It was... it was like love at first sight! It's like a dream. A really good dream."

Quil and Embry looked at each other again. They had been best friends with Jacob since they were all in diapers. This was not like him.

"Jake, have you been bewitched?

Jacob stopped pulling on his best boots, looking up at them. "Bewitched? What the hell does that mean? I mean, I know what it means, but what are you trying to say?"

"Since when am I the voice of reason?" Embry asked Quil, who could only shrug. Embry turned back to his friend. "I mean, you race in here saying you've met some girl in the woods, and you want to marry her after she popped up out of nowhere. That's not like you, pal. At all."

"Well... she's a peasant girl, a wood maiden, I don't know!" he huffed. "But I met her, and we spent all afternoon just talking, and... I'm in love with her. I'm sure of it."

"Awful fast, don't you think?" Quil asked. "Didn't you stop to think that this could be a trick of Aro's?"

"He's dark, Jake. We know how he fights. He doesn't use fair methods. What if this girl is..."

Jacob stood, pulling on his other shiny black boot. "Guys, Carlie is a symbol of all that's good in the world, you'll see. This isn't the work of Aro. It's the work of... Venus, I don't know. But she's perfect! I'm going to go get her and bring her back. I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"Jake—"

"Jake, wait!"

But their calls fell on deaf ears. Quil and Embry watched in defeat as Jacob raced away from them in search of his dream girl.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the palace of Forks, King Carlisle was wearily and anxiously awaiting news – any news of his daughter's return. The sun was beginning to set in the west, and still there was no sign of his long awaited – daughter. Esme was in the room, beside herself with nervousness as her maids tried to calm her. Carlisle was trying to distract himself with the company of King William.

"Still no sign of her," he muttered, returning from the balcony.

"Ah, still half hour till sunset!" William mused, reaching for a piece of meat. The palace had been preparing for weeks for the return of its princess, and that night, there was to be a great celebration. As they waited, servants were bringing in a royal feast. William was happily distracting himself, sampling everything in sight. Jacob had yet to return from his pouting, but he was paying no attention. Once the girl arrived, William was certain she would be beautiful, and his son would be pacified. Word of her appearance would spread, and Jacob would surely come running.

Just wait, he thought. That boy will never know what hit him. With a mother as beautiful as Esme, the girl had to be stunning. He knew Jacob was stubborn, but he also knew the allure of a strikingly beautiful woman.

"I'm just worried," Carlisle groaned.

"Nonsense," Billy interjected, holding up a chicken leg. "Now come man, buck up! The battle is over! Your daughter is as good as here."

"I'm sorry William, but after seventeen years of worrying and never knowing... all the uncertainty..."

"The past! All in the past, my friend. You need a drink, dear friend," William replied, clapping his hand. His servant, Harry, came running.

"Harry, pour our friend, Carlisle, a nip of this," he instructed, handing him a bottle. Harry nodded, filling their cups to the brim with wine. "This is something I've been saving for the last seventeen years," he explained. "Here! To the future!" he laughed, reaching up to toast.

Carlisle relented, chuckling at William. "You're right, Billy, dear boy. I have been worrying too much," he agreed. William grinned at his old nickname, nodding.

"A drink in celebration is good luck. The future is bright, Carlisle!" he bellowed, clanking his glass against his friend's. "This time next month, our children will be married, our kingdoms will be united, and all will be well!"

"You are wise, my friend," Carlisle agreed. "It is almost dark, and soon Renesmee will be here. Let us toast!"

"To the wedding!"

"To the wedding!" Carlisle chorused. Their glasses clanked together again as the men laughed merrily.

Suddenly, the trumpets of Forks rang with the news of a visitor. William and Carlisle raced to the balcony overlooking the court below, both of them beaming with who they saw arriving.

"His royal highness, Prince Ephraim!" the court announcer cried.

William clapped in delight. Jacob was early. "Stay here, Carlisle. I shall go fetch us one half of the magical duo!" Billy exclaimed.

"Yes, well... that's one important half of the equation!" Carlisle laughed.

William raced out of the hall, down the stairway, and into the courtyard where Jacob had just galloped in on his white horse.

"Jacob! Jacob!" he called.

Jacob reined Charlie to a halt and dismounted, beaming happily. He couldn't wait to tell his father the news.

"Hurry boy! Change into something suitable. Can't meet your future bride dressed like that!"

Jacob grinned wider. "Oh, but I have met her."

"Oh you - wait, you have? But where?"

Jacob ignored his question, still entranced from meeting Carlie. "In the woods. She's everything I hoped for, father. Wait till you meet her. I've met the girl I'm going to marry!"

"Princess Renesmee? Good heavens, where? No matter, no matter, we must tell Carlisle. This is the best news!"

"Wait, father," Jacob laughed, "I didn't say it was Renesmee. I said I met the girl I was going to marry. I'm not sure where she came from... I suppose she's a peasant girl—"

"Wait, peasant? You're joking. You're kidding me! You're going to give up the throne and marry a peasant girl?"

"NO, I'm not joking!" Jacob laughed.

Billy's face paled. "No! You can't do this to me, Jacob, I... I won't' have it! You're a prince! Enough of this nonsense!"

"Father—"

"N0! I said you're a prince! And you're going to marry a princess!"

"Now father, you're living in the past! Nowadays, people marry for love and not—"

"Nowadays nothing! I'm still king. And I say you're going to marry Princess Renesmee! I command you to come to your senses..." Billy bellowed. He was so blinded by rage, he could barely see straight.

"I'll come to my senses and marry the girl I love!" Jacob laughed, jumping onto Charlie's back. The horse snorted and reared up, Jacob grinning at his father.

"Wait, I... no! No you're not!" Billy stammered.

Jacob chuckled. "Goodbye father. I'm off to bring my bride home!"

With a wave, Jacob galloped off as fast as Charlie would run. William stood aghast on the palace steps. He called after him, but Jacob was already gone. With a defeated sigh, he sat down on the palace steps with a grunt. How on earth would he ever share this awful news with King Carlisle?

He was doomed.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 10: The Return

Rosalie closed the door to the tiny cottage, touching the latch affectionately. Pulling the red cloak up over her blonde head, she silently bade goodbye to the tiny home that held so many dear memories for them. Bella and Alice gave it one last look as well, surely saying their own goodbyes. With some gentle coaxing, they had managed to get Nessie out of bed long enough to dress her in her new gown. They had given her a long cloak to wear over it after they had finally persuaded her to leave. The only thing that had succeeded in convincing her was the idea of meeting the parents she never knew she had.

"We must go," Rosalie urged, nodding in the direction of the castle. The four of them slipped into the night, much like they had seventeen years ago. Nostalgia flooded all three of them as they quietly treaded through the forest, doing their best not to listen as Nessie wept quietly as she walked.

Nessie was beside herself with grief. Not only had her three caretakers lied to her about their true identity all these years, but they had also kept the truth of who she really was from her. She was really a princess, not a simple peasant girl she had known herself to be. The three spinsters were, in fact, magic fairies. She didn't understand any of it. What she knew was gone and had been replaced with something out of a fairytale. Usually something so exciting would have her bursting with joy, but all hope for that seemed lost. The only thing she had really wanted – a chance at true love – was gone. She had gotten a glimpse of what it would be like today, and now it was being ripped away from her. She had been so close to finally experiencing true love.

They walked and walked. Further and further into the night they went, the trees and surroundings growing unfamiliar. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as the homely cottage where she had been raised grew further and further away. She felt as though her life was being ripped from her fingertips. How could the three spinsters do this to her? She'd loved them and trusted them and this was how they repaid her?

And worse, what would Jake think? He'd make his way to the cottage as she'd told him, only to find it completely bare. After everything they'd confessed to each other and the long hours they'd spent talking, she was sure the fluttering in her chest was the blossom of new love. She'd read about it so many times and positively yearned for it over the years. She was certain that was what she felt. How could she leave him?

Peeking out of her hood, she considered running away from wherever they were taking her. Surely she could find her way back to the cottage and wait for Jake to return. He was a prince, after all! Wouldn't he send out a search party for her? Wouldn't he return to look for her more than once?

The further and further they walked, the more her hopes of ever returning to the cottage grew. She'd never been this far away from home before and was almost certain she would never be able to return the way they'd come. Despair settled into her bones and refused to leave as they walked.

It felt as though hours had passed. Her head swam with the information they'd given her – never in her life had she had such a trying day! While the thought of meeting the people that had brought her into the world intrigued her greatly, all she could think about was Jake.

She sniffed again as they stopped, Rosalie looking around for signs of danger. Her blonde hair shone in the moonlight as she held up her pale hand to signal them all to be quiet. Nothing seemed out of place, so they crossed the stone bridge that signaled they were now in the kingdom of Forks. Nessie barely looked up as they quietly made their way into the back of the castle.

Alice wrapped her hand around hers and squeezed it. "Nessie…look up," she whispered. "You're home."

Looking up, she suddenly realized where they were. They were entering the castle she had seen from afar! No wonder they didn't want her to go anywhere near it – it was her rightful home. A sense of betrayal seeped over her as she realized she'd really been lied to over and over throughout her childhood. She pulled her hand from Alice's as a fresh wave of tears took her.

Alice gave Rosalie and Bella a reproachful look. She knew they were all thinking the same thing – they hated lying to her and hated tearing her away from this 'Jake' character even more. But they would never forgive themselves if anything happened to Princess Renesmee.

Soon, they came to a large, black iron gate. Three figures emerged from the darkness, making the four of them come to a cautious halt. Nessie was frightened for a second until Rosalie calmly spoke.

"You've been waiting for us," Rosalie breathed, pulling her hood off her head. She smiled widely at the three cloaked figures in front of them. They stepped forward, Nessie cowering behind Bella, who patted her shoulder comfortingly. When they stepped into the light, Nessie saw that they were knights; one was tall, dark and burly with dark brown curls. The second was taller and leaner, his hair falling in golden waves to his chin. The third was the shortest, but he was muscular and stern looking with light brown, coppery hair. She noticed that all three of the spinsters – or fairies – were speechless for a moment.

"You've taken the potion!" Alice trilled happily. The golden haired knight nodded.

"We have."

"We've been awaiting your return for seventeen years," the third knight replied quietly. "We are Knights of the kingdom and were assigned to protect you at your birth. It's with great pride that we resume this d"uty tonight.

"Welcome home, Princess Renesmee," the tallest said, bowing. The other two followed suit, bowing before a speechless Renesmee. No one had ever bowed to her before, and it was a strange thing to watch.

"Um... thank you?" she managed to squeak. She was still coming to grips with the idea that her name was actually _Renesmee_ instead of Nessie as she had always been called. Just a few hours ago, she was still just a peasant girl, but now she was truly a princess who lived in a castle. The weight of the day began to wear on her greatly.

Rosalie cleared her throat, giving the three knights a pleasant smile.

"The tower is ready?"

"Yes, Mistress Rosalie, the princess' tower has been secured. Proceed up, and we shall stand guard until she is presented to the king and queen."

They thanked the knights, who followed their footsteps quietly. They crept through the dark shadows in the deep recesses of the castle to avoid being seen. Nessie looked up, blinking through her tears as Alice tapped a stone wall with her wand. Her jaw dropped open as a corridor appeared, just like magic. They urged her through it, and soon they were climbing up a great set of stairs. She followed the three of them up, up, and up until finally, they reached a long corridor. Hurrying down the wide hallway, she wiped her eyes as they led her into a large chamber. The knights paused to stand guard outside the door as the three fairies ushered her inside. It was finer than anything she had ever seen, but she couldn't find the will to admire it in her current state.

"Thank you," Alice whispered, grinning at them. With that, she closed the door and slid the bolt into place. They had finally made it. The littlest fairy sighed in relief as she leaned against the dead bolted door.

"Lock the door! Bella, pull the drapes!" Rosalie instructed.

They were so close now – they weren't taking any chances.

"I did, I did," Alice giggled. She raced to where Nessie stood in the center of the room, bleary eyed and sniffling. "I know you're upset Nessie dear, but now comes the fun part!"

"The fun part?" she asked with trepidation. After all she'd been through, the fluffy bed in the corner was looking more and more appealing. All she really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and try to forget the day had ever happened. Perhaps Jake would come to her in her dreams, she thought.

"Yes. Now we get to finish turning you into a princess!" Rosalie clapped.

"Sit, dear," Bella urged her. Nessie sat down in front of a gold-rimmed mirror, staring at her tear-stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. She felt like she had been crying for hours.

"Now Nessie, there is one last gift we have to bestow," Alice said excitedly. All three stood behind her and waved their wands.

"A symbol of your royalty," Rosalie said. "A crown to wear in grace and beauty."

They all sighed happily as the crown took shape. Nessie watched in the mirror as a golden, glittering crown appeared on her head. Alice beamed at her, brushing her hair into place so that the metal fell perfectly on her head.

Nessie took one look at the crown as it sparkled against her copper hair and all she could think of was Jacob. He was gone and she had no hope of ever seeing him again. In the space of several hours, she had discovered she was betrothed to some awful prince she had never even met before, and that her entire life had been a lie. She would have to marry him instead of her true love – Prince Jacob. He was probably at the cottage that second, wondering why she had abandoned him. Sadness overwhelmed her, and a fresh set of tears stung her eyes.

Collapsing on the table before her, she began to weep again.

"Now dear..."

"Come. Let her have a few moments alone to collect her thoughts," Bella urged. The three of them darted into the hallway to give the princess a moment to take it all in. They closed and locked the door, even saying an extra enchantment to help keep the new princess protected. They all exchanged a mournful look at Renesmee's cries could be heard all the way out into the hallway.

"Oh Nessie…" Bella sighed, shaking her head. "She's so upset with us. Do you think she'll ever be able to see that what we did was for her own protection?"

"She ought to," Rosalie replied. She twirled her wand in her fingers, shaking her head. "I wish she could see that we only did this to protect her."

"But she was _so_ upset," Bella said.

"It's that boy she met," Rosalie sighed sadly.

"What are we going to do? She can't meet her parents like this!" Alice groaned.

They all knew Nessie deserved her happy ending, but they had made a promise to her parents so long ago. A betrothal could never be forgotten. She sighed in defeat, her own eyes welling up with tears. It just wasn't fair.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-


End file.
